The long-time NBC series held a special audition showcase for African-American women in LA and NY in a search for new talent. According to the report, the first showcase audition was held at the Groundlings Theatre in Los Angeles on Dec. 1 where actresses like Misty Monroe, Amber Ruffin, Simone Shepherd, Tiffany Haddish, Nicole Byer and Bresha Webb were among a dozen hopefuls seeking a spot on the hig-profile show. The second showcase reportedly took place in New York on Dec. 1, and was attended by series honcho Lorne Michaels himself.

“The audition came about from an inside source from ‘SNL,'” Webb told The Jasmine Braind. “I don’t think any of us had a clue about the showcase until two day prior … I found out that I was on a list of funny women in the industry and there was an opportunity for me to (audition for) ‘SNL’ last summer but I was filming ‘Love That Girl.’ And now the opportunity has re-presented itself.”

“We were all very supportive of each other and there was no sense of competition or pettiness,” she added. “We were just happy that some new black women were being considered and given a shot. We even held hands and prayed after the showcase. It was refreshing.”